I trained as a chef and have catered professionally, so I knew a few tricks to pull it off with relatively little effort. Buy in some bits and make others. I bought a batch of pastries (Costco's mini viennoserie are small enough to serve to a gang of girls); I baked up several batches of granola — we're still eating it two weeks later.
I may have got a teensy bit carried away as it was so easy. A couple of years ago, I discovered, by chance when testing out an Actifry machine, that its 'healthy' chips were mediocre, it makes a mean granola. In minutes! The recipe which I adapted from one by the lovely Felicity Cloake was excellent. I served it in tumblers, with a thick layer of creamy, Greek yoghurt and my mother's home made apple compote.
The utterly fabulous Lance Forman of Forman's had sent me 500g of his delicious smoked salmon, which disappeared so fast I didn't even get a look in! It was served with a choice of different breads from The Bread Shop plus some mini bagels from local deli, Yummies.
The main dish was a spinach and cheese strata, which is a savoury French toast-style bake. Tried and tested at previous brunches. It's delicious and assembled the day before so you have next to no input on the day, other shoving it in a hot oven. The smell of baking cheese is sublime. (No picture, as by the time it emerged from the oven, I was too busy chatting to snap it.)
In a Jewish-mother pre-party panic, I'd added a few bits to the menu during the day before. Cheese bourekas, hummus and a platter of crudites. By the time we'd assembled the table, it was a very Israeli breakfast looking buffet.
Being in the food world, I had a little help from my friends: Adam Nathan - one of my favourite caterers - gifted me a tray of his wonderful brownies. They were gooey, crumbly and loaded with giant chunks of dark chocolate; Lisa Roukin, one of the JC's fabulous food writers brought me a beautiful tray loaded up with her addictive, raw chocolate brownies; local friend and author of Wild Honey and Rye, Ren Behan, another brought a wonderful cake. She'd baked one of Anne Shooter's recipes involving coconut, cardamom and rose jam and it was super light and tender.
Every good party needs going home presents. Why should toddlers have all the fun? Spencer Hyman of amazing artisan chocolate suppliers, Cocoa Runners, had sent me a pile of teeny chocolate bars, and I slipped one of them and a mini bath foam into goodie bags, sealed with a 'thank you' label that mini Fresser two had helped me create. It really was a team effort.
Waitress Veronica - who is the best in town - and her team of one, Johnny, made the table look beautiful, and kept guests fuelled with Buck's Fizz, Peach Bellinis or Kir Royale as well as juice, tea and coffee. She had advised me to hire china from Apple Catering Hire in Edgware, who were excellent. I wanted something other than the too-corporate white china you see around, so went for vintage cups, saucers and plates. Bobbie - the lovely lady I dealt with there was super patient and helpful.
It went like a dream - just far too quickly. I'd do it again in a heartbeat, and wish I could! It definitely made turning 50 a little easier to bear.
